Tears & Memory

HELP WANTED!!!!!!! - Decline and Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:58:00 +0000

HELP WANTED!!!!!!!At Glastonbury 1981 a band played called Decline and Fall. I can find nothing about them on the web.

On the running order they are described as ex-Only Ones but it also describes John Cooper Clarke as Liverpool's Beat Poet!! I still can find no more info about them.

Were you there? Were you in the band? Did they kip on your floor? Did they really exist?Any info gratefully received.
UPDATE - on the running order they are described as ex-Only Ones but it also describes John Cooper Clarke as Liverpool's Beat Poet!! I still can find no more info about them
UPDATE(2) - if you look at John Perry's (Only Ones guitarist) MySpace page talking about the split of the Only Ones in 1981 - "I formed a band to do Glastonbury one more time then drifted off round the Greek islands for a while." - thanks to chrissafc25 for the info
UPDATE(3) - "Decline and Fall was definitely John Perry post-Only Ones. I remember them existing, but not much more. It's mentioned on John Perry wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Perry_(musician)"
and they did not only play Glastonbury "I saw them - but didn't attend the festival. Can't remember where ............. Might have been a festival warm-up though" - thanks this time to Auto_Da_Fe

Tunng with Tinariwen - Manchester Academy II. 20th March 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Great concept this, an attempt to meld the very English folktronica of Tunng and the electrified rebel songs of Tinariwen. I, for one, was unsure what to expect. I love the work of both of these bands separately and have seen Tunng live before on which occasion they were excellent.

Tonight (and throughout this tour) Tinariwen were a three-piece of guitar, bass and percussion (there can be as many as 8 members in the full line up). As the band(s) took the stage there was a palpable air of expectation from a sold out Academy 2.

Mike Lindsay began by explaining that the bands had been together just a week so my hopes for new joint compositions seemed a bit unlikely and that's how it panned out.

For, perhaps, the first three songs there was an understandable sense that, the musicians were finding their feet. But, feet found, the sound became tighter and there was an obvious chemistry between the two groups as they alternated between Tuung and Tinariwen compossitions with the opposite numbers adding their distinctive sounds and vocalisations to great effect.

This experiment could have become an awful, po-faced, self congratulatory "we're so multicultural" love-in but the respect evident between the artists and just the joy they have in making music shone through and although this was not the creation of a new sound it was a great new way to hear the always fascinating music of two distictive groups both at the top of their games.

Catch them on the rest of the tour in the UK:
26th March - Koko, London
27th March - Concert Hall, Reading
28th March - The Rainbow Warehouse, Birmingham

If you can't manage that there are some free downlads available at Tunng's myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/thisistunng

JEFFREY LEWIS'S HISTORY OF PUNK ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:04:00 +0000

One of my very favourite songs is Jeffrey Lewis's A History of Punk on the Lower East Side. From the early folk compiler Harry Smith through to New York Dolls he brilliantly runs through the story of the development of the music that eventually led to punk with little renditions of some of the standout tracks.

Here I've set out Jeff's words and included a download of as many of the songs or songs by the artists mentioned as I can - including, of course, a download of A History of Punk on the Lower East Side itself. Check out Jeff's site here

"OK. This is August 26th 2004. We’re gonna try and go through this in one live take.
The Complete History of the Development of Punk on New York's Lower East Side from 1950 to 1975.
We start with Harry Smith in 1950, a beatnik weirdo living in New York City
His huge collections were insane, of Easter eggs and paper airplanes
And rare records, he had around a million and sixty
to change America through music was his hope
and to make some money because he was broke
he compiled a triple decker collection of songs from his records
released as the Smithsonian anthology of American folk.
....... On Monday morning just about 9 o 'clock the great ship Titanic began to reel and rock husbands and wives, little children lost their lives wasn't it sad, wasn't it sad, when that great ship went down?
>>> here's a few tracks either featured on Harry Smith's Anthology or by artists featured:
Dock Boggs - Country Blues
Carter Family - Worried Man Blues
Richard 'Rabbit' Brown - James Alley Blues
Buell Kazee - The Butcher's Boy (the Railroad Boy)

Smith's plan began to work as foretold.
This weird music began to take hold
that sparked an interest in these forms of life underground from the norm
and soon millions of folk records were being sold.
By the early sixties, Dylan ,Baez, Phil Ochs
were doing intellectualized copies of the old folks
Bob Dylan - Maggie's Farm (Live Newport Folk Festival 1965 - 1st electric performance)
Joan Baez - Dona Dona
Phil Ochs - Cops of the World
Then one strange folk band downtown called The Holy Modal Rounders
Began to make it more anarchistic, with weird voices and drug jokes.
..... Mom's out there switchin in the kitchen and Dad's in the living room, fussin' and a-bitchin' I'm out here, kickin' the gong for euphoria Euphoria - when your mind starts reelin' and a-walkin' Inside voices start squealin and a-squawkin' Floatin around on a belladonna cloud. singin' euphoria.
Holy Modal Rounders - Boobs A Lot

In '64 that was, then in '65, Lou Reed and John Cale in a Ludlow Street dive
Had a similar musical spin, also on acoustic guitar and violin
with even more New York street drug jive
..... Hey white boy, what ya doing uptown Hey white boy, you chasin' our women around? 'Pa-pa-pardon me sir, nothing could be further from my mind Im just waiting for a dear dear friend of mine Im waiting for the man'

In '65 the Rounders met other beatnik intellectuals thugs on East 10th Street
who call themselves The Fugs
In April, they were recorded by Harry Smith doing the punkiest songs yet to exist
Lo-fi noisy shit about poetry, sex and drugs
. ....I don't have a bad time, I don't need to cum for I have become an amphetamine bum. If you don't like sleeping, and don't want to screw then you should take lots of amphetamine too.
Fugs - Nameless Voices Crying for Kindness
Fugs - I want To Know

Smith recorded two live Fug sessions including Tuli Kupferberg's amazing nihilist song 'Nothing':
..... Monday nothing, Tuesday nothing Wednesday and Thursday nothing Friday for a change a little more nothing Saturday once more nothing Fucking nothing, sucking nothing Flesh and sex, nothing Church and Times Square, a whole lot of nothing Nothing, nothing, nothing
The Fugs were real poets with real topics to speak out
and through the underground scene this crude music could leak out
Beginning the punk idea that anyone could do it
without need much musical ability to it
and this new crude music was labeled Freak Out
In '66 The Fugs signed to New York label ESP
The same label put out a band called The Godz, with a 'Z'
The Godz accomplished the feat of making even The Fugs music sound sweet
With the least musical folk-rock racket in history
..... mrrrrr---ow meow

Godz - Riffin'
Godz - Where?

Far from the West Coast hippy scene, New York underground music was far from mainstream
It was intellectual but noisy and hectic, and then The Velvet Underground went electric
and made folk-punk even more beautiful and more extreme
..... I'm waiting for the man, twenty-six dollars in my hand Up to Lexington 125, feel sick and dirty more dead than alive Im waiting for the man.

Velvet Underground - Waitin' For My Man (from lost 1966 “demo”/acetate version of the their first album)

Nothing could stem New York’s strange folk-punk tide
In '68 came David Peel and the Lower East Side
He recorded an album on the streets, screaming and sloppy
Danny Fields signed him to Electra
sold almost a million copies
With songs like "I like marijuana"
and "Up Against the Wall, Motherfucker" inside
..... Mother, where is my father? Where is my brother? They're at war, theyre at war. You made them join the dirty U.S. Army You told them all a filthy white lie You gave them all the bullshit and baloney And now my brother and my father are gonna have to die

Strangest of all on East 10th Street in '68
where the duo Silver Apples, who managed to create
two futuristic albums of noise, rhythm and poetry
creative to the point of underground obscurity
it doesn't sound like punk or anything else but it sounds great
.... Isolation Isolation (?) Electronic evocation The sounds of reality Spinning magnetic fluctuation Wave on wave configuration that dance between the balls of sound And find my world to saw (?)

The Stooges were a Freak Out band
in Detroit and folks ignored them
until Danny Fields brought them to New York
and had John Cale from the Velvets record them
Almost all acid rock was turning into progressive
The Stooges, instead, pushed the raw and aggressive
And Iggy Pop sang about degradation and boredom
.... Well 1969 okay, all across the USA Another year for me and you Another year with nothing to do another year for me and you Another year with nothing to do

In 1970, David Peel's second album came
with some amazing songs and some a little lame
In most pre-punk histories, Peel gets forgot
coz he was a hippy singing songs about pot
but his second album was the first album
with the real sound that electric punk rock became
..... We are from the Lower East Side We dont give a damn if we live or die We are from the Lower East Side We dont give a damn if we live or die

And even though it was seven years before
it was something the Clash would do
Peel mixed punk with reggae
and the amazing song "I Want To Kill You"
..... We call the people of the future generation You call the people in a world of aggregation You call the people in a life of demonstration We gotta change the world before annihilation Gonna get a rifle and I'm gonna get a gun I am out to kill you and I'll have a little fun I am out to murder you, I'm going to attack I'm going kill you Your the monkey on my back I wanna kill you Kill, Kill, Kill I wanna kill you Kill, Kill, Kill

>>> here's the Clash covering the classic Pressure Drop

In '71, Lester Bangs first writes the word 'punk'
to describe '60s enthusiastic teenage rock junk
72, Lenny Kaye puts out the '60s Garage comp. 'Nuggets'
and coins the phrase 'punk-rock' in the liner notes of it
Though punk-rock would soon come to mean something different
from what Lester and Lenny thunk
(They meant raw 60s punk songs)
..... I feel depressed, I feel so bad Coz your the best girl that I've ever had I can't get your love, I can't get affection O little girl, psychotic reaction

Lenny Kaye was also a guitarist who began playing music
with an East Side poet named Patti Smith who would use it
to mix wild poetry with simple rock stuff
like The Fugs in a way, but less rough
A postmodern way to take high art and low art and fuse it
..... Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine
Gloria, Gloria
>>> you probably have just about everything by our Patti so I stuck this of her doing a Poem for Jim Morrison and Bumblebee
72, '73 was when the New York Dolls start
mixing trash and drag fashion
with a pure rock and roll heart
That David Johansen and Johnny Thunders sound
mixed old-style simple rock
with the new New York underground
And sorta defined the moment when
stupid on purpose became the new smart
..... You're a prima ballerina on a springtime afternoon
Change on into a wolfman howlin at the moon
All about that Personality Crisis you got it while it was hot
But now frustration and heartache is what you got
New York Dolls - Personality Crisis

The Lower East Side began punk fashion as well
with ripped clothes and spiked hair
worn by a poet named Richard Hell
Hell was in Television, The Neon Boys
The Heartbreakers, The Voidoids
And he wrote the song that gave the new
70s punk generation it's first anthem yell
..... I was screamin get me out of here before I was even born, it's such a gamble when you get a face
It's fascinating to observe what the mirror does but when I die it's for the wall that I set a place
I belong to the blank generation but I can take it or leave it each time I belong to the _______ generation but I can take it or leave it each time

Richard Hell - Don't Die

74, CBGB's starts having punk shows
With Television, Patti Smith and The Ramones

Jemima Pearl & Thurston Moore - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

75, punk fanzine begins and the whole thing moves over to England
England steals all the credit
That's how it goes
The End
This is Jeffrey Lewis, Jack Lewis, our friend Tyler
Thank you "

Tears & Memory T-shirt live in Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Gerard Starkie and Ray Chan of much acclaimed and under appreciated alt-rockers Witness got together with some local musicians to play a live show in Hong Kong.
Gerard was wearing the Tears & Memory Headphones T-Shirt, though you can't see much of it behind his guitar!
Some great footage of the gig is available on YouTube where you can see performances of Quarantine (the stonewall classic limited edition debut single), as well as Freezing Over Morning, Hijacker, Cause and Effect, Still, Heirloom & Scars (all from their quite brilliant and criminally underselling debut album)

Gerard's latest album is available for free download on myspace . Here's an earlier track as a taster: Gerard Starkie - Wisest Man Underground

Efterklang Live at the Ruby Lounge, Manchester, 1st April 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:35:00 +0000

John Peel 30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:01:00 +0000

Tomorrow, Saturday 25th October 2008, is the fourth anniversary of the death of John Peel. Much has been said about Peel's contribution to music in the UK and there is little I feel I need to add. On a personal note though John Peel is by far the single greatest influence on my musical journey. As music is central to my very existence that makes him very, very important indeed. His influence undoubtedly lives on but nothing has, or could come, close to replacing him. I for one miss him very much.

I have posted a small selection of session tracks. I expect that most of these tracks are already out there and I apologise if I am not adding to the greater sum of Peel show mp3s. This, though, is by way of a personal tribute.

On 19th October 1988 Peel broadcast a Sonic Youth session in which they only played Fall covers. Somehow this seems to encapsulate a great deal of what music meant to me back then.

Sonic Youth - Psycho Mafia

Sonic Youth - My New House

Sonic Youth - Rouche Rumble

Sonic Youth - Victoria

Way back in 1975 (on 19th May), before I was listening to John Peel shows, Can recorded two session tracks; Geheim and Mighty Girl. It would be about 10 years later that I got seriously into Can and othe krautrock bands via a mate's love of all things Amon Duul. Here's Geheim:-

Can - Geheim

A band that I remember Peely having a particular fondness for were Quickspace. They released just three albums but recorded four sessions. For me, they never got the attention they deserved. Here is the last of those sessions from 29th September 1999.

Quickspace - They Shoot Horses Don't They?

Quickspace - The Lobbalong Song

Quickspace - The Flat Moon Society

Quickspace -Gloria Clip

Finally, less than six weeks after John's death the BBC put out a session by Shellac. Their song The End of Radio is incredibly poignant.

Shellac - The End of Radio

THANKS JOHN.

Hagar the Womb - The Word of the Womb EP 1984

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:20:00 +0000

One of the earliest releases on Mortarhate (MORT 2) the label founded by Conflict, this is a terrific EP fuelled by anger but never despair. Sometimes it feels almost like an historic document of a time when people still felt thay had the power to change society through positive action and constructive revolt... and through music. But the songs do still resonate today with powerful critiques on celebrity culture and the empty pursuit of fame, the dangers of religious fundamentalism, personal freedom and our unceasing willingness to subjugate ourselves to a flawed system.

As it says on the sleeve: Be aware, be happy, be optimistic - THINK!

DOWNLOAD - Hagar the Womb - Truth

DOWNLOAD - Hagar the Womb - Idolization

DOWNLOAD - Hagar the Womb - Cardboard Theatre

Approximately Infinite Universe

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:07:00 +0000

Approximately Infinite Universe (named after the 1973 Yoko Ono album) is billed as A Caravan Of Raw Sound Magic From Finland & The US and reached Manchester on Thursday 25th. Part of an eight date tour the concept is one of collaboration. Centred around the acts on Sami Sänpäkkilä's Fonal Records label these collaborations worked to perfection. Introduced by the films of Sami Sänpäkkilä' set to the music of Kemialliset Ystävät in the lovely setting of the Contact Theatre the evening promised much from the very start. Nor were we disappointed.

First up the combined enormity of Islaya, Blevin Blectum and Samara Lubelski. Islaja (Merja Kokkonen) is/has been part of Avarus, Kemialliset Ystävät and Hertta Lussu Ässä. Blevin Blectum is a electronic musician of well deserved renown having released groundbreaking records as half of Blectum From Blechdom. Multi-instrumentalist Samara Lubelski is part of German psychsters Metabolismus and has worked with such luminaries as Thurston Moore, Tower Recordings and Matt Valentine. The three were joined on stage by an unheralded bass player - anyone know who that was? - and produced a beautiful set of tight as a drum quietly funky psych doodlings with some breathtaking Nico-esque vocals from Islaya. Lovely stuff.

Finland's Jan Anderzen of Tomutonttu, Kemialliset Ystavat and Avarus and California’s Spencer Clark and James Ferraro of The Skaters performed together under the Dream Triangle moniker. Their set consisted of a single "song" of complex drone and low end rumblings. Unfortunatley as with much of this type of music it does not always translate to live performance in a larger venue. To fully appreciate the subtlety and complexity of their sound demands close attention and a couple of people in front of me got a little distracted and chatted, quite loudly, throughout which rather spoiled it for me. Grr!!

Es is Sami Sänpäkkilä aforementioned film-maker and Fonal Records head. Fursaxa is Tara Burke from Philadelphia who on her records plays among others dulcimer, accordion and guitar. Taking to a stage fronted by a ring of tealights, Sänpäkkilä and Burke combine to produce beautiful, melodic, rambling songs of a rare intensity.

Kemialliset Ystävät (Chemical Friends in translation) from Tampere, Finland and Axolotl is Karl Bauer from New Jersey closed out the show with a set of motorik krautrock inspired riffs interwoven with folkish detailing that worked superbly well.

No-Signal and Lamb and Wolf deserve all the plaudits for putting together these shows and on the choice of venue in Manchester. I hadn't seen a gig at the Contact before but the place was a brilliant choice for this one and added to the atmosphere and ambience of the evening.

Gigs September and October '08

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:25:00 +0000

I can recommend all of the following some of which I am going to and others, unfortunatley, I can't make. If you get to any of these have a good time and be nice. Remember don't continualy talk during the band's performances. I hate that, don't you?

This Thursday 25 September 2008 @ The Contact Theatre, Manchester
http://www.contact-theatre.org/
APPROXIMATELY INFINITE UNIVERSE - A CARAVAN OF RAW SOUND MAGIC FROM FINLAND AND THE US.
The Manchester leg of an eight date tour supported by Contemporary Music Network and sponsored by The Wire Magazine featuring Kemialliset Ystävät, Islaja, Fursaxa, Samara Lubelski, ES, Axolotl, The Skaters, Blevin Blectum and Tomutonttu.
The concerts will be recorded and later released as digital only compilations.

Tickets £10/£6 concessions
http://www.wegottickets.com/
http://www.ticketline.co.uk/
and from Piccadilly Records, Oldham Street, Manchester
See http://www.myspace.com/lambandwolf
or http://www.no-signal.net/aiu/ for more info

You can also catch the tour TONIGHT @
Newcastle - Gateshead Sage

After Manchester the tour continues:
26 SeptemberBristol - The Cube
4 Princess Row, BS2 8NQ
Doors: 7.30pm
Tickets: £12 http://www.qujunktions.com/
and 27 September London - ICA
12 Carlton House Tce, SW1Y 5AH
Doors: 7.30pm / Start: 8.00pm
Tickets: £10 http://www.no-signal.net/

Wednesday 8 October 2008 @ http://www.ruby-lounge.co.uk/ , Manchester
JUANA MOLINA

Tuesday 14 October 2008 @ http://www.musicboxmanchester.com/ , Manchester
THIS WILL DESTROY YOU, DAY FOR AIRSTRIKES, CODES IN THE CLOUDS

Thursday 23 October @ http://www.manchesteracademy.net/ , the University, Manchester
ATP Presents: Mogwai + Fuck Buttons + Errors

Wednesday 29 October @ Kings Arms, Bloom Street,Manchester www.studiosalford.com/kings.h…
JACKIE-O MOTHERFUCKER, VALET, INCA ORE, GO LEBANON and GNOD
www.myspace.com/wotgodforgot

UK D.I.Y. Post Punk - an update

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:54:00 +0000

It was a fantastic surprise to get an email from Geoff Watts once of The Different Eyes and Hibi Yaki who had come across my entry about the Tuzmadoner DIY post punk compilation 'Folk Music'. He very kindly provided additional info about the various bands on the LP and the scene happening in North London in the late 70's and early 80's. I think the most appropriate thing for me to do is to post Geoff's email in full (with a few comments and links added by me). Cheers Geoff:

'Simon Gilham and Royston were at school together in north London, Des McManus and Geoff Watts met whilst working at WH Smith and met up with the other two.
Simon, Des and Geoff (Bass, Drums, Guitar) formed The Different Eyes (later the DIFFERENT I's) and were driven to rehearsals by Royston. The Different I's rehearsed and performed live around North London around 1977-1979, recording various sessions and releasing two records - Shish EP and Folk Music.
As a side project, Royston sang some songs backed by the Different I's but as a different band. Royston never gigged.

The four members were friendly with Scritti Politti and regularly met up at Scrittville in Camden north London and drank and swapped musical tales with the Scrits, Gang of Four, Door and Window as well as many individuals, Simon Booth as well as a net work of musicians including Robert Wyatt. Inspired by the Desperate Bicycles (great link here) this band of merry musicians set about in 1979 to record the London Collective LP. Many bands were at the time releasing their own funded releases. The London Collective was a fraught notion - we spend many months and meeting discussing "why" rather than "how" and as a consequence it was abandoned.

The Shish EP was recorded in an attic room in Streatham, South London, recommended by Robert Jones of The Upset and The Bureau. Two additional tracks remain unreleased, one probably lost forever now.

Simon was now squatting with Mark O Brien, and another allegiance formed - Simon and Des backing Mark on his songs. Again Mark never gigged.

I can't recall how Simon met his partner in in Chancellor of the Exchequer but they took then selves off and recorded the two tracks.

Infra-Red Ice Cubes was Royston's project with Tim and Tom (names long gone) and Des on drums. They failed to record two tracks for the album artwork in time so we gave them names and they recorded songs to fit!

Mark O Brien was responsible for the cover art.

The EP received some acclaim, and fan letters were received from as far afield as Germany and Holland .

The Different I's were the main musical core of the collective and after a break and reunion they went their different ways.

Geoff and Roy as you state to Hibi Yaki who recorded around 3 - 4 demo sessions and gigged in north London. Simon you have the details and toured Canada with Colin Newman of Wire and then formed Interferon (check U Tube)'
There are still 2 free downloads from the Tuzmadoner compiliation 'Folk Music' at www.tearsandmemory.co.uk/blog

UK D.I.Y post punk

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:31:00 +0000

The Tuzmadoner label put out just two releases (as far as I can tell) 1978’s Shish EP by The Different I’s and 1980’s Folk Music compilation. The latter a truly fascinating document of the post punk DIY ethic featuring two tracks each by Different I's, Infra-Red Icecubes , Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mark O'Brien.
I can find virtually no information about any of these except Different I’s and I must thank Hyped2Death.com's Messthetics pages for what I do know:
- Simon Gilham, Des McManus and Geoff Watts got together in late 1977 along with 'non musical' friend Royston
- John Peel promptly hailed Shish as the worst record-sleeve he had ever seen
- "This Week" probably features the world's first-ever duck call solo
- Geoff Watts and Royston went on to Hibi Yaki (who are equally obscure), while Simon Gillham played with Colin Newman and later paired with Simon Fellowes in New Wave duo Intaferon who released 3 singles but never an album.
- Tuzmadoner? was the stock response at the corner kebab-stand when the skint band members ordered two small doner-kebabs between three.

All of the 8 tracks share a post punk feel and are characterised by heavy bass, an experimental structure and a genuine musical ambition.

Of the four artists, The Infra-Red Ice Cubes are perhaps the most edgily experimental. Secrets is a 5'22" instrumental piece reminiscent of This Heat and the krautrock of Neu!. Common Garret seems to me to be before it's time with its use of an Eastern European folk style violin sound over drone.
Mark O'Brien offers more immediate song based fare with a pop-(post-)punk flavour.
The Different I's perhaps best exemplify the willingness of these artists to flaunt conventional song structure with their employment of a huge range of styles, technique and instrumentation (including the aforementioned duck call solo).
Chancellor of the Exchequer have elements of Joy Division in Yellow Room but are more interesting on Scientific American which juxtaposes a bewildering array of vocal styles to great effect.

DOWNLOAD:Infra-red Ice Cubes - Common Garrett
DOWNLOAD:Chancellor of the Exchequer - Scientific American

Check out Folk Music in the Tears & Memory Shop

23 May 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:22:00 +0000

Various things have conspired to prevent me seeing any live music recently. I did, though, catch the excellent show The Impotent Fury of the Privileged by stand-up stand-up Daniel Kitson. Thought provoking, moving and hilarious - sometimes all at once. If you haven't done so already do try to see Daniel perform, you will not be disappointed.

So with the lack of gigs to review I thought I should post some of the more interesting musical discoveries I have made over the past few weeks.

Gabo Brown & Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou- It's a Vanity

This is a track from an unlikely album of 70s fusion from Benin and Togo. African Scream Contest: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds From Benin & Togo 70s was released in March on AnalogAfrica and on the strength of this track is well worth checking out.

Autistic Daughters - Hotel Exeter Dining Room

Taken from the second album Uneasy Flowers on the ever dependable Kranky label. Autistic Daughters are a New Zealander Dean Roberts (guitar, vocals) and Austrians Martin Brandlmayr (percussion, computer) and Werner Dafeldecker (guitar, bass).

Five Fold Shade - Girl Loves Me

Terminally obscure late 60s German psych-garage band about whom I know nothing more than what I found on the excellent roots and traces blog where you can find more tracks as good as this raw beauty.

U-ni - Akasanta

From the album Samadhi on Vital Records an offshoot of Poseidon. U-ni is Tatsuhiro Honmura who plays guitar and bass through a series of effects and delays. If you like the motorik charms of krautrock and have psych leanings then you will probably like this.

Boris & Growing at The Ruby Lounge, Manchester 21st April 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:10:00 +0000

Growing are a band I had previously heard just a few tracks by and they had really passed me by. But even though I only caught the last ten minutes or so of their Monday night set I was immediately caught up in their psychedelic pulsing throb.

Growing's sound is expansive and filmic, at once chaotic and disciplined and a very satisfying live experience.

Here's a taster of their work: Growing - Green Pastures from the Color Wheel album on Troubleman

Find out more @ http://www.growingsound.com/

From the very first chord of Boris's set you knew this was going to be a memorable night. Playing a heavier set than when I saw them in June '07 this was a near perfect display of their controlled aggression that produces some of the most joyous noise currently out there. And it was loud! I've long put off getting earplugs but 30 years of gigging is bound to take it's toll. Obviously I wasn't the only one who thought so. The next day Piccadilly Records had sold out.

No live recording this time I'm afraid. It was just too loud for my kit to cope but here's a song that they did play on the night: Boris - You Put Up Your Umbrella
and as they are named after a Melvins song here's a Melvins song: Melvins - Civilized Worm

noreply@blogger.com (Tears and Memory) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:01:00 +0000

JAMES BLACKSHAW LIVE AT SACRED TRINITY CHURCH SALFORD, 6TH MARCH 2008 with JOE VOLK and TABLE

Three acts ideally suited to the reverential atmosphere so often generated in this beautiful 18th Century church. First up, Table, about whom I know just about nothing except they are a four piece of Dave O'Dowda on vocals and electric piano/keyboards, Gemma on cello, Kieran on guitar and Rob on percussion, keys and accordion who delivered a set of well crafted songs with a real subdued passion performed with obvious joy.
Judge for yourself here with a download of a song called (I think) Daddy:
DOWNLOAD - Table - Daddy live at Sacred Trinity Church, Salford 6th March 2008

Joe Volk is from Bristol and as a solo artist is signed to Invada Records on which label he has released a debut album; 'Derwent Waters Saint' (produced by Adrian Utley of Portishead). He also takes on vocal duties for stoner band Gonga and post-rock supergroup Crippled Black Phoenix. The set drew obvious comparions to Nick Drake but for me lacked a little depth to truly draw the audience in. Listen here to a live song (don't know the name of it unfortunately):

DOWNLOAD - Joe Volk - unknown song live at Sacred Trinity Church, Salford 6th March 2008

And so to James Blackshaw. I sat transfixed throughout James set as I wondered at how one man and one 12-string guitar could, at times, manage to sound like a small orchestra of players. Already comparisons have been made to the playing of Sandy Bull and John Fahey and James is certainly carrying the torch for that tradition of fine, experimental guitar playing. There is simply never a dull moment such is the complexity and intricacy of the layers of sound employed. Without lyrics these tunes still have a vivid tale to tell. To have witnessed James Blackshaw playing in such a special, intimate venue was a real privilege.
Enjoy the live tracks downloadable here and take the next opportunity to see this man live. Check for dates here : www.myspace.com/jamesblackshaw

DOWNLOAD - James Blackshaw (1) live at Sacred Trinity Church, Salford 6th March 2008

DOWNLOAD - James Blackshaw (2) live at Sacred Trinity Church, Salford 6th March 2008

DOWNLOAD - James Blackshaw (3) live at Sacred Trinity Church, Salford 6th March 2008

DOWNLOAD - James Blackshaw (4) live at Sacred Trinity Church, Salford 6th March 2008